Dr Reddy's settles spat over patent with Glaxo

Dr Reddy's Laboratories and global pharmaceuticals major GlaxoSmithKline have reached a settlement on the patent dispute over generic copies of the latter's popular anti-migraine pill, Imitrex, for the US market.

Following this, Dr Reddy's will be able to sell the drug in the US market. Dr Reddy's might launch the generic drug in the US market in the last quarter of 2008, ahead of the expiry of the paediatric exclusivity on Glaxo's patent number 5037845 on the drug on February 6, 2009, said a company release to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today.

Imitrex sales in the US market are currently valued at over $890 million.

The news lifted Dr Reddy's shares by more than 2 per cent to Rs 722 on the BSE. The company's shares closed on Monday at $15.30 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Dr Reddy's patent challenge relating to sumatriptan succinate tablets, the generic version of the British drug giant's Imitrex tablets, was pending in a US court for some time.

According to the terms of the settlement, the company may exclusively distribute an authorised generic version of sumatriptan succinate tablets (in 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg strengths) in the US. GlaxoSmithKline's Imitrex tablets are for the acute treatment of migraine attacks in adults.